Self-hypnosis and meditation are similar, but not the same. The subjective feeling is similar when you are meditating and when you are in a state of hypnosis, and the brain waves are the same. The main difference is in the intent.

Meditation stills your mind and opens it to the universe. It is not something you should manipulate for a specific outcome. Regular meditation can lead to lower blood pressure and other positive health outcomes, but you generally don't just meditate on that. Meditation is included in many spiritual traditions but can also be used without a spiritual component, as in the Relaxation Response, described in the book of that name by Herbert Benson.

With self-hypnosis, you have a specific goal you want to support. (There is some crossover when your goal is relaxation.) There is nothing necessarily spiritual about self-hypnosis. It is a practical skill that you can learn easily.

Ideally, you should practice regular meditation for enlightenment as well as its health benefits, and do self-hypnosis for practical results.

"Meditation is not a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace and blessedness in itself."...Great Master Zhiryi (538-597)

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